New Coronavirus Strain Found in Brazilian Moustached Bat Raises Global Health Concerns

A previously unknown species of coronavirus has been identified in Brazilian bats, named BRZ batCoV, which carries a genetic element strikingly similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the widespread COVID-19 According to scientists, the virus was discovered in a ‘moustached’ species of bats that is spread across South America, suggesting that it may have been circulating undetected for a long time, but was missed mostly due to limited regional viral sampling and inadequate wildlife surveillance. Researchers now say that this finding highlights a proactive approach and the need for stronger monitoring of bats across species, as similar viruses could spill over into humans. The moustached bat, also known as Pteronotus parnellii, is an insectivorous

bat native to the Americas and ranges from southern Mexico to Brazil. Scientists say it is most common in moist habitat types, and it can be found in some dry deciduous forests. It is mostly nocturnal, roosting in caves and mines during the day and emerging shortly after sunset for five to seven hours of activity. “Our study provides a broader understanding of the phylogenetic and functional diversity of bat coronaviruses as well as their zoonotic potential,” the study authors wrote. “Comparative structural analysis identified other beta-coronaviruses in bats with furin cleavage sites at the S1/S2 junction, suggesting that this region is a structurally permissive 'hotspot' for cleavage site incorporation,” they added.

Moustache bat virus shows COVID-19-like origins

According to scientists, who published the paper on infected bats in the journal BioRxiv, the identification of BRZ batCoV provides new evidence that important viral mutations can occur naturally, without laboratory intervention, and highlights the complex evolutionary pathways that coronaviruses can follow in wildlife hosts. Scientists say an important finding is the presence of a furin cleavage site - a molecular feature that allows viruses like SARS-CoV-2 to unlock and enter human cells. Previously, the same findings had fueled debates about whether COVID-19 was artificially engineered. However, according to Dr Kosuke Takada, a co-author of the study from the University of Osaka, Japan, explained that this discovery demonstrates how such molecular features can arise independently in different viral lineages through natural evolutionary processes. It means that furin cleavage sites in BRZ batCoV support the belief that similar mechanisms in SARS-CoV-2 could have evolved in nature.

Wildlife surveillance needed to curb the spread of infection

Even though the virus was detected in intestinal tissue samples from 70 bats in Brazil’s Maranhao and Sao Paulo states, researchers stress that there is no evidence currently that BRZ batCoV can infect humans or other mammals. The virus has not been isolated, and the study conducted was completely based on digital genetic sequencing. Scientists say the current finding underscores the importance of wildlife surveillance, especially in areas that are vast and undersampled, like South America. However, most of the research on viruses is currently focused on Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.